Railroad-crossing signal



- 'nmmm July 16, i923.

J. B. DE LUCA RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed May 9, 1921 Patented July 10, 1923.

lAGLIw JOSEPH B. DE LUCA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

v RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL,

Application filed May 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, JOSEPH B. DE LUCA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals and more particularly to an improvement in railway crossing signals.

The primary object of the'invention is to provide a signal so, constructed and arranged in juxtaposition to the intersection of a line of railway track and a vehicular road, as to give warning to persons travelling on the latter road of the presence of a crossing of this nature so that they may take due notice of the condition and avoid accidents, the signal being however obscured from the view of the crews of trains approaching from either direction along the railroad track. Heretofore it has been found impracticable to employ a signal of this general type such for example as a red lamp, because of the fact that the presence of the signal would prove confusing to the train crews but inasmuch as-by the present invention means is provided for obscuring the signal from the view of the train crews approaching in either direction along the stretch of railroad track, this disadvantage is overcome and at the same time the signal serves its useful purpose in warning travellers upon the vehicular road.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide means for preventing the reflection of light rays from the signal lamp in such a manner that any of the rays will be visible to train crews when approaching the crossing.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the adaptation of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating one arrangement of the invention;

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating a simplified form of the invention;

Figure 4 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view through the casing supporting the visible signal.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates in general a line of railway track, or as it will be termed in the claim a rail road, and the numeral 2 indicates a vehicular road 1921. Serial No. 467,938.

which intersects the rail road. An upright or post 3 is mounted at one side of the road 1 adjacent the point of intersection of the road, and an arm extends from this post for the support of the signal device embodying the invention, the arm extending substantially parallel to the line of extent of the road 1 and in the direction of the road 2 to a point beside the same. If desired a suitable audible signal 5 may be mounted upon the post 3 and employed in conjunction with the signal of the present inven tion and at this point it may be stated that the signal of the present invention includes a vvisible signal means which is preferably in the nature of an electric light bulb colored or otherwise arranged to display a red light, and this bulb and the audible signal 5 may be placed'in a single electric circuit or in independent electric circuits adapted to be automatically closed upon the approach of a train along the track 1 from either direction so that both signals will be active immediately'prior to and during the time of passage of the train over the crossing.

The invention contemplates the provision of a visible signal means which is indicated by the numeral 6 and which may for example be in the nature of an electric light bulb of the character above pointed out. This signal may be mounted in any desired manner at the outer end of the arm 4 and consequently above the road way 2 and if desired, for example, a box or casing 7 may be supported at the said end of the arm and the signal 6 may be mounted beneath this box or casing, and the casing may bear any desired warning legend upon one or more of its sides as for example Train coming.

In order that the signal 6 may be obscured from the view of the crews of trains approaching from either direction along the rail road 1, opaque screens 8 are arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the signal medium 6 and each is of a width considerably greater than the diameter of the light bulb 6 and said screens are arranged facing each other and suitably spaced from the said bulb 6. As stated above the screens 8 are opaque and by reference to Figure 1 of the drawing it will be observed that they are arranged opposite each other in a line parallel to the line of extent of the rail road 1 so that light from the signal 6 is obscured from the view of the crews of trains approaching along this road from either direction although the signal is clearly visible to travellers upon the road Therefore the crews of trains approaching on the rail road 1 will not be confused or misled by the presence of a red light signal 'inthe line' a segment of a hollow cylinder, and while the surfaces of the screens which are presented toward the light bulb 6 are not re fleeting surfacesorat least are notdesigned with this purpose in view, it will be evident froin the diagrammatic representation in the said figure that light rays reflected from the surfaces will be confined within the bounds of the lateral edges of the screens and will therefore not be reflected in the path of onconiing trains. However, if desired the screens 8 may be of the flat form shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

In addition to the red lamp visible signal 6 above described, an electric lamp 9 may be provided within the casing 7 and the said casing may be provided in its sides which are presented in the direction of extent of the vehicular ro'adffi withf'transparent panes 10 hearing the warning legend above quoted. Preferably the lamps 6 and 9 are in circuit witlreach other and with a relay ll so that by the manipulation of a suitable switch (not shown) the circuit may he broken through the lamps 6 and 9 during the day without interfering with the closing of the circuit through the audible signal 5 and, during the night, the circuit may be closed through both thevisible and audible signals. l A p p h Having thus described the inventiomwhat is claii'ned as new is: V g 7 h A device of the class described comprising abox shaped casing having two opposing side walls "of transparentmaterial and provided withappropriate warnings, the other walls of the casing being opaque and an illuininating medium on the central vertical axis within the casing; anotherilluminating medium carried by said casing 'exteriorly thereto, but situated on the same vertical axis, a. pair of screens attached to said casing having concave surfaces directed towards said second illuminating medium and spaced symmetrically across a plane run, ning parallel to saidtransparent'side walls and throughsaid axis, said concave surfaces having their foci situated in said plane.

In testimony whereof I afliX mysignaturef JOSEPH B. DE LUCA? [n s] 

